8 | Audit of Building Permit Fees December 2024 2. Lack of controls in preventing incorrect permit submissions Observation During the review of refunded non-refundable fees, specifically state surcharges, it was identified the department lacks a control to prevent incorrect permit submissions before payment is made. The Permitting Department currently refunds all fees when customers submit incorrect permits through the Accela Civic Platform, including non-refundable fees, resulting in the need to resubmit a new application and pay fees again. When the Accela Civic Platform was originally implemented, the Permitting Department was not refunding state surcharges to stay in compliance with the County Resolutions, however, this process was revised to prevent customers from being charged surcharges twice upon submitting a new application. This process creates inefficiencies and increases the volume of refund transactions, as there is no control in place to prevent incorrect submissions upfront. Recommendation Implement a pre-submission review process within the Accela Civic Platform to allow employees to flag incorrect applications before any fees are charged. This would allow staff to notify customers of errors prior to payment, minimizing the need for full refunds and improving operational efficiency. Additionally, the department should enhance customer education by providing clear instructions at the point of submission to reduce the number of incorrect applications. Collaboration with the Enterprise Information Technology (EIT) department or software vendor may be required to adjust the system accordingly. Management Response Based on staff experience, a majority of incorrect permit submissions do not come from frequent submitters, but from residential homeowners that do not have experience applying for permits. In addition, changing the workflow or adding an additional step universally would not be conducive to a streamlined process for customers. A link to permit guides and selecting the correct permit type has been added to the homepage of the Accela Permitting System, providing clear instructions at the point of submission to reduce the amount of incorrect submissions. We will monitor this issue moving forward and incorporate additional information into future Lunch and Learn events. All refunds will follow the updated Departmental Directive references in Opportunity for Improvement No. 3.
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